Phonograph.



PATENTED OCT. 25, 1904.

P. E. VAN VALKENBURGH.

PHONOGRAPH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1900.

N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 773,304. PATENTED OCT. 25, 19,04.

' P. E. VAN VALKENBURGH.

PHONOGRAPH.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 19, 1900.

no MODEL. a SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Patented October 25, 1904.

PATENT ()EEicE.

PHONOGRAPH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,304, dated October 25, 1904.

Application filed June 19, 1900.

To all 1071 0711 it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL E. VAN VALKEN- BURGH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Phonographs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in phonographs, and has for its primary object the production of a cheap, simple, and durable instrument that may be operated either by hand or by power.

A further object is to have the recorder and reproducer held in contact with the wax cylinder yieldingly by elastic force as contradistinguished from the force of gravity commonly employed in instruments of this class.

Another object of my invention is to so pivotall y mount the feed-arm and the reproducer or recorder that the weight of the horn or other suitable weight aside from the feed-arm or the diaphragm-box may be utilized to hold the feed-arm in operative contact with the feed-shaft and to hold the reproducer or recorder in operative contact with the record or record-blank.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained by the devices vice.

illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a plan view of a phonograph embodying my invention in its preferred form. Fig. 2 represents an end elevation thereof. Fig. 3 represents a plan view of a modified form of phonograph embodying my invention. Fig. 4c is a transverse section on the line 4: 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the feed-screw and its contacting de- Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of the combined recorder and reproducer, and Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail View more clearly showing the preferred manner of constructing the recorder and reproducer.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A indicates the supporting-frame Serial No. 20,798. (No model.)

of the machine, which may be of any suitable shape and construction, but preferably has the form of a rectangular frame with the central portion of one of the end bars cut away so as to leave the frame open at that end. Upon the opposite end bar of the frame is journaled one end of a shaft B, which projects therefrom toward the opposite open end of the frame, substantially midway between the same, and has rigidly mounted thereon a cylinder G, preferably of wood, which tapers slightly from the end thereof adjacent to the supported end of the shaft and is of a diameter to receive the usual wax-composition cylinder D, which is slipped thereon and held by frictional contact in the usual way of machines of this class. This wax cylinder is of course plain when it is desired to record sounds thereon, or it may be in the shape of what is technically called a record with the sounds already recorded thereon. With a plain cylinder the recorder is of course used, while with the record the reproducer is used.

J ournaled in suitable bearings at one side of the frame A and parallel with the shaft B is a screw -threaded feed shaft E, having mounted thereon a pulley in line with another pulley G, rigidly mounted upon the main shaft 13, said pulleys being connected by a belt of any suitable kind, preferably a small metallic coiled spring H, trained about the two pulleys, so as to communicate power from one to the other. Upon the shaft B and working in the slot cut out of the end bar of the frame is a fly-wheel I for inducing regular motion of the shaft B, to which power is preferably communicated by a crank J, although of course the shaft B may be driven by power in the shape of the usual cheap clockwork mechanism, geared thereto in the ordinary manner. As, however, my primary object is to produce the eheapest possible machine that shall give satisfactory work, I prefer to use the crank, as shown.

Beyond the feed-screw E and extending parallel therewith is a rod K, supported in suitable bearings at the side edge of the frame A, upon which are slidingly mounted dependfir 773,304.

ing ears L from the horn-support M, which the support, one end of which is sleeved upon latter is provided with a laterally-extending the rod K or provided with ears L, corre- 65 feed-lingerN, engaged by a knife-edge on the spending with those of the construction preend thereof with a thread on the feed-screw, l viously described, while the other end rests so that as the feed-screw is revolved the horndirectly upon the feed-shaft. Hence it will support will be caused to travel along on the i be seen that in this instance the feed-arm is red K, according to the direction in which l to all intents and purposes merely aprolonga- 70 the feed-screw is turned. The horn-support l tion of the horn-support. carries a transverse tube O, upon one end of While I have referred to a certain part of which is slipped the horn P, while on the the structure as thehornsupport and have other end is forced one end of ashort section described my device as being so constructed of rubber tubing Q, the opposite end of which that the recorder or reproducer is held in op- 75 is attached to the reproducer R, whose tracerative contact with the cylinder by the weight ing-point S engages the record D at the unof the horn, it should be understood that any dcr side thereof, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. suitable sound-receiving or sound-distribut- It will be noted that the plane of the rcproing means may be substituted for the horn.

' ducer is at an angle to the axis of the horn and Obviously, also, the device may be so con- 80 the tube on the horn-support, this disposition structed that the weight which I supply by being possible by reason of the interposition attaching the horn may be provided at the between the horn-support and the reproducer point where I attach the horn by some other of the rubber tubing. part of the structure as, for instance, by

One of the principal points of my invention making the horn-support of sufficient weight 8 5 is that I rely upon the resilience of the rubat the point where the horn is attached to her tubing to hold the reproducer up to its hold the reproducer or recorder against the 2 5 work against the record, but yieldingly, so cylinder in the same manner thatIhold them as to avoid any damage thereto. As a result in operative position by means of the weight of such construction the reproducer may be of the hornbut such variations do not con- 90 made exceedingly light, and, in fact, lighter stitute a departure from the spirit of my inthan it would be possible to make one and vention.

get the same results where the gravity of the Heretofore the engagement between the reproducer alone is relied upon to hold it in feed-arm and the feed-shaft has generally proper contact with the record. It will also been effected by a single knife-edge fitting 5 be noted that the weight of the horn P is alone into the thread on the feed-shaft; but I prerelied upon to hold. the feed-arm N in proper fer to have a two-point engagement between contact with the feed-screw, and obviously the feed-arm and the feed-shaft by providing whenever it is desired to shift the reproducer two parallel adjacent knife-edges upon the back and forth to different positions upon the end of the feed-arm. This may be readily record it is only necessary to lift the outer end and economically effected by forming the of the horn and rock the horn-support upon feed-arm out of square tubing and then cut- 40 the rod K, when both the reproducer and the ting away the upper and lower sides thereof feed-arm will be moved out of contact with for a short distance back of the end of the the record and feed-screw, leaving all of the arm, as clearly illustrated at T in Figs. 4 and parts carried by the horn-support free to be 5, thus leaving the sides only of the arm to moved back and forth. engage the thread of the feed-shaft at two ad- 45 The principal difference between the majacent points along its length. This serves to chine illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and that steady the horn-support, as well as reducing illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 is that in the tirstthe liability of jumping the ends of the feed- 1:10 mentioned machine the reproducer opposes shaft, and therefore tends to insure a more the under side of the record or wax cylinder, perfect and regular feed of the reproducer 5 while in the last-mentioned machine the re along the record.

producer opposes the upper side of the record Another important and novel feature of my or wax cylinder. Of course there are minor invention made possible by the employment differences in the disposition of the parts renof the elastic or resilient tube connecting it dered necessary by the difference referred to; with the horn-supportis the reproducer, which 55 but in all general features of operation and in practice I have made out of a small pastecoopcration the parts are identical. For inboard box. such as are commonly used by stance, the guide-rod K for the horn-support druggists for pill-boxes, in one side edge of is on the opposite side of the record-supportwhich I insert ashort section of tube adapted ing cylinder and frame from the feed-screw to iitinto the endof the elastic tube Q, and at 0 E, and the horn-support N spans the record the center of the box, on one side thereof, I and has the transverse tube with which the cement a short post U, in which is set the horn I and tube of the reproducer R are conusual sapphire point V for following the I25 nected mounted thereon between the ends of groove in the record. This box serves the purpose of an amplifying chamber, from which the sound produced by the vibration of the side which acts as a diaphragm andto which the tracing-point is secured passes out through the tube Q and horn P in a practically straight line, thus producing very loud and Very distinct reproductions of the sounds that produce the record. The reproducer is of course very light and very cheap, and but for the pressure produced thereon as a result of the slight flexure of the tube Q would not be satisfactory for the intended purpose. struction of the reproducer is such that I am enabled to utilize the same device as a recorder by simply cementing or gluing to the opposite side of the box from that on which the reproducing-point is mounted a suitable support for a recording-stylus W, this support being preferably a small metallic clip having an angularly-disposed tube to receive the stylus.

A phonograph made in accordance with my invention is exceedingly cheap, simple, and durable, and yet is quite satisfactory for a machine of the cheaper class, where especial accuracy cannot be expected.

Obviously numerous changes may be made in the construction and disposition of the parts without departing from the spirit of my invention-such, for instance, as substituting other material for the pasteboard boxes, which are the preferred construction of my reproducer and recorder, for so far as relates to the broad idea of my invention any material that enables the construction of a fiat box having opposing sides to which the recorder or reproducer, or both, can be attached would fall within my invention and are comtemplated by the claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. In a phonograph, the combination with a base, of a cylinder, a support pivotally mounted on said base, a horn mounted on the outer end of said support, and a reproducer or recorder connected with said horn and disposed beneath the cylinder and held in operative contact therewith by the weight of said horn.

2. In a phonograph, the combination with a cylinder, of a counterbalanced reproducer or recorder, and a horn serving as a counterweight for holding said reproducer or recorder in operative contact with said cylinder.

3. In a phonograph, the combination with a base, a cylinder, a feed-shaft, and a support pivotally mounted on said base, of a feedarm connected with said support, a reproducer or recorder also connected with said support, and a horn mounted upon said support at that side of the center of gravity of the pivot of said support which will permit said horn to This concounterbalance saidfeed-arm and said reproducer or recorder and hold them in operative contact with the feed-shaft and with the cylinder, respectively.

4. In a phonograph, the combination with a base, a cylinder, and a horn-support pivotally mounted on the base, of means for rotating the cylinder and for moving the hornsupport lengthwise of the cylinder, a repro, ducer or recorder held in operative contact with said cylinder by the weight of said horn, and a flexible connection between said reproducer and recorder and said horn-support, substantially as described.

5. In a phonograph, the combination with a cylinder, of a counterbalanced reproducer or recorder, a part of the structure mounted to serve as a counterweight for holding the reproducer or recorder in operative contact with said cylinder, and an elastic tube interposed between the reproducer or recorder and such counterweight.

6. In a phonograph, the combination with a rectangular base-frame cut away at one end thereof, an arbor-shaft ournaled centrally in g said frame opposite the cut-away end thereof, a fly-wheel on said shaft, a crank-arm for rotating the same and a cylinder mounted thereon, a screw-threaded feed shaft journaled on said frame parallel with the arborshaft and geared thereto, a guide-rod secured in said frame parallel with the feedshaft, a horn-support loosely mounted on said guide-. rod, a feed-arm in said support engaging the feed-shaft, a horn attached to said support and operating to hold the feed-arm in contact with the feed-shaft, a reprod ucer and an elastic tube connecting said reproducer with said support, substantiallyas described.

In a phonograph, the combination with feeding mechanism, of a flat paste'board box connected therewith, a reproducing or recording point secured thereto, a horn-support, an elastic tubular connection between said box and said horn-support, a part of the structure serving as a counterweight to flex said tubular connection, so as to hold the point on said box in yielding contact with a record or recordblank, substantially as described.

8. In a phonograph, the combination with a base, of a cylinder and feed-shaft geared together and suitably mounted upon said base, means for rotating said cylinder and feedshaft, a support pivotally mounted upon said base, a reproducer or recorder connected with said support, and a part of the structure connected with said support at that side of the center of gravity thereof which will permit the weight of such part to hold said reproducer or recorder in operative contact with said cylinder, substantially as described.

9. In a phonograph, the combination with a base, of a cylinder and feed-shaft geared togetlier and suitably mounted upon said base, means for rotating said cylinder and feedsllaft, a horn-support pivotally and slidably mounted upon said base, a feed-arm and re producer or recorder, both connected With said horn-support, and a horn connected with said. horn-support at that side of the center of gravity thereof which will permit the Weight of said horn to hold said reproducer or recorder and said feed-arm in operative con- 10 tact with said cylinder and with said feed-shaft, respectively, substantially as described.

PAUL ll. VAN AliKllNllURGll. \Vitnesses:

J. E. HALLENBECK, M. E. SHIELDS. 

